Soon the brand will celebrate its fifth birthday—a significant milestone for a local business that refuses to compromise on ethical production and sustainable fabrics, while offering a lifetime repair policy.
Founder Jakob Slabbert grew up in the Cederberg mountains, his organic rooibos farmer parents instilling his sustainable sensibilities. Though fashion didn’t run in the family, Jakob remembers making clothes for his dolls on the lawn as a young child, encouraged by an aunt who would bring him fabric and sewing supplies.
After school, Jakob pursued a career in the film industry, working in the art department for ten years. “At some point I thought this wasn’t going to be sustainable for me…” he says. He took a break, travelling to Vietnam, India, Nepal and Indonesia. “It was very intentional. I needed to go out and see if there was anything else for me out there, and I found it.”
While in the north of Vietnam, he encountered the work of the Hmong community, an ethnic group renowned for their textiles, including richly embroidered story cloths, handspun hemp fabrics, and batik dyeing techniques. The slow and holistic process—planting hemp and indigo seeds, drying the stalks, spinning the hemp into yarn, creating the indigo dye, and the resulting textile—deeply resonated with Jakob.
Once back in Cape Town, struggling to find clothes to fit with his newly emboldened ethos, Jakob began creating his own hemp pieces. Soon, friends were requesting shirts of their own or dresses made from the same fabric. As he was still working in the film industry, Sundays were his only day off. This became the day he would sage his house before sitting down to work on his brand, and Sage & Sunday began to take shape.
After three years of online sales and outsourced production, Sage & Sunday launched its flagship atelier in the creative community hub of Woodstock Exchange. Today, the small team handles all production in-house, prioritising upskilling over mass production. While garment workers traditionally focus on a single aspect of the production line, Sage & Sunday ateliers are assigned entire garments. This approach equips workers with comprehensive skills, mastering every step of the garment-making process, from cutting to adding trims to finishing the product.
“I think there’s a lot of dignity that goes with making a garment from beginning to end,” says Jakob. “And variety is a great way to invigorate the mind and the craft.”
Sandile Mela, Sage & Sunday’s lead tailor
To ensure supply chain traceability, Sage & Sunday focuses on just three main fabrics. All garments are made from a 55% hemp 45% organic cotton blend dyed in rich earthy hues using GOTS-certified dyes. The recycled PET felt used for accessories is made from recycled plastic bottles, and their bags and footwear are made from cork leather.
Their cork leather shoes are a standout product, earning them the Footwear Award at the 2024 Twyg Sustainable Fashion Awards. According to Jakob, cork leather is on par with animal leather in terms of durability and longevity. “It also gains character over time, which is my favourite part of working with these materials,” he says. “It softens and bruises, in a good way, and becomes a beloved piece.”
For Jakob, sustainability goes beyond fabric choice: “I would say longevity plays an even bigger part.” He introduced Sage & Sunday’s fix-it policy to lengthen the lifetime of their garments. “There’s definitely a sentiment of ‘This is my prized possession, and I would love to wear it more, wear it longer.’ I think that adds a silver lining to the process.”
“A hardcore entrepreneur would probably say I’m shooting myself in the foot by fixing a shirt instead of making customers buy a new one. I think it’s much more fulfilling knowing somebody has a piece that they really love and would like to extend its life.”
Sage & Sunday is set to launch a new upcycled range. These patchwork pieces, in the brand’s trademark rich organic shades, are made from workshop off-cuts—another way Jakob is gearing his brand towards a sustainable future. “There is an urgency to change our ways and systems so we can provide a breathable environment for our children and grandchildren to live in,” he says. “It’s the responsibility of all of us—producers and consumers alike—and there are small changes we can all make.”
- All images supplied by Sage & Sunday
- Find out more about Sage & Sunday on their website